Category: Forbes
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‘Pie Zeses’: Toasting To A New Year
Another year of blogging is almost in the proverbial books and I must say that while 2016 was a wretched year socio-politically, it was professionally quite satisfying. My first book, Trade and Taboo was published and I even began writing for Forbes regularly. There is no doubt that I have much to be thankful for as […]
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‘The Eagle Huntress’ And The Ancient History Of Falconry
Over at the Forbes blog this week, I discuss the ancient and medieval history of falconry in the Mediterranean. After seeing the new documentary film ‘The Eagle Huntress,’ about a 13-year-old girl named Aisholpan learning to become an eagle hunter with her father in Mongolia, I went back to some class notes on Greco-Roman attitudes towards the […]
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Numbering The Stars: Remembering the Contributions of Medieval Muslim Astronomers And Catalogers
This week over at the Forbes blog, I discuss the International Astronomical Union (IAU)‘s publication of an official catalog of 227 star names. The list was published this week in order to further standardize how we reference stars and constellations, since each one has had numerous monikers in Greek, Roman, Chinese, Arabic and many other languages over the many millenia that […]
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The Midas Touch: Alchemy in the Medieval and Early Modern Eras
It has been a splendid week doing talks and research in southern California (you can see all my slides for the talks here). One of the highlights of this trip was a special visit to the Getty in L.A. to see two adjacent exhibits (one at the Getty Museum and the other at the Getty […]
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A Short History of Demons, Exorcism, And Possessed Women
Since last’s week accusation by Alex Jones that Hillary Clinton and President Obama were demons that smelled of sulfur, I had begun to think about the role of demons, exorcism, and demoniacs in early Christian texts. Over on the Forbes blog, I discuss how the subject of demons has a rich past in the religion, but […]
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‘Bind His Hands’: Curse Tablets and Charioteer Magic in Ancient Sports
Over on the Forbes blog this week, I wrote a bit about how social anxiety can be viewed through magic. In the case of curse tablets involving charioteers, we see an incredible amount of energy invested in sports. The culture of athletic competition and rivalry in chariot racing is not all that different from the […]
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Ancient And Medieval Censored Books To Read During Banned Book Week
This week (September 25-October 1, 2016) is banned books week. Over on the Forbes Blog, I discuss the import of celebrating the freedom to read any book that we want. This is despite the fact that written works continue to be censored and removed from public libraries even today. I discuss just a few of the works that were burned, […]
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Does NYC’s New 3D Printed Palmyra Arch Celebrate Syria Or Just Engage In ‘Digital Colonialism’?
Over on the Forbes Blog, I discuss the ethics of 3D printing antiquities and the developing practice of “digital colonialism.” These issues have come up yet again with the unveiling of the 3D replica of the Palmyra Arch newly erected in New York City. The problem is with the signage, the lack of methodological transparency, and absence […]
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September 12, 490 BCE: Remembering The Battle of Marathon On The 2,506th Anniversary
Over on the Forbes blog, I have posted a day-by-day reconstruction of the events leading up to and including the famed Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE. I did this with the help of UT-Knoxville Classicist Thomas Rose (also a ASCSA alumnus & fellow marathoner). The battle was the basis for the modern day Marathon race (26 miles […]
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Tattoo Taboo? Exploring The History Of Religious Ink And Facial Tattoos
Over on my Forbes blog, I explore the history of religious tattoos. This post stems from my interest in the use of various stigmas–legal, social, and even corporal–against marginalized individuals. Tattoos in Greco-Roman antiquity were often linked to servility, but could also advertise one’s religious convictions. I spoke with tattoo historian Anna Felicity Friedman about pilgrimage tattoos in […]
History From Below 